


I Built a Home (For You, For Me)

by catchingtheblues



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Cancer, Depressing, Derek is sad, F/M, Hale Family Feels, I am so sorry, Leukemia, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Mentions of Cancer, Multi, Stiles Dies, Trigger Warning: Death, angst angst angst, everyone is sad, like tbh, so many tears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-12
Updated: 2015-05-12
Packaged: 2018-03-30 05:22:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3924433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catchingtheblues/pseuds/catchingtheblues
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cancer's a monster they can't beat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Built a Home (For You, For Me)

**Author's Note:**

> i am so sorry. cancer mention. this is very sad. if you wanna add to the mood, listen to: [To Build A Home by The Cinematic Orchestra](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkP6Tf79UrM).  
> or if you just want to cry in general fuck that song dammit.

He spends his last days in a hospital bed. He's pale, so pale, dark circles under his eyes, lips cracked. He hasn't been eating, drinking, so there's nutrients dripping into him slowly, a needle in his arm with an awful bruise around it. He has too many bruises now, from all the wrong things. He's cold, he's disoriented. 

Death is not graceful.

The last two days, the wolves have been camping out in Stiles' room. Melissa helps, keeps them out of trouble. They can all sense the end, coming up quickly. It's achingly quiet; nobody's sure what to say.

Stiles can't talk as much as he used to. His throat is too dry for it, he can't keep much down. He points weakly to his water and Scott carefully helps him sip it from a paper cup.

"I can't go... without telling you... how much you all mean to me... Thank you."

Everyone's already mourning. The room is a mess of sick air and hot, angry/sad tears. Everybody's showing it differently - Scott's messy and loud, he huddles close to Allison, who's crying quietly. Isaac is stone-faced, eyes wet, unmoving. Erica is sobbing into Boyd's shoulder, while silent tears run down his face. Lydia's all shudders and stuttering breaths. And Derek, Derek is the worst. Stiles can barely look at him.

Derek is loud, choked off sobs, face in his hands because he can't see this. He doesn't want to. He's barely 30 and he's lost too much, he shouldn't have to lose Stiles. He wishes it was him.

Stiles touches Derek's hand. The rings on their fingers shine.

"I'm sorry."

Derek's sobs get louder.

Today, the oncology ward is almost silent, except room 408. 408 has a pack of monsters and heroes, has a dying 24 year old man, has the ghost of a mother, awaiting her son.

The Sheriff makes it just before Stiles loses consciousness. Everyone watches his eyes close. The doctor said at 9 AM this morning, this is the end. He went on to another patient, giving her her life back.

Ugly feelings of resentment rose - why should she live? Then Stiles coughed up blood and time stopped, resumed when he took a normal breath again.

The Sheriff comes in, and Stiles blinks up at him, smiles. "Good. It's... it's gonna be... golden." And his eyes close, like the blinds of a house with the lights out.

It's quiet. It only takes an hour for Stiles to go, but it could last forever. It could've been a second. Time stops having meaning when someone you love is dying.

The monitor flatlines, and the world stops spinning. All that matters is in room 408. The universe narrows down to the room, then flies back, opens up completely, forgets the boy who just died, forgets the wolves and humans who can't stop crying. The world spins again.

They've faced other werewolves, demons, hunters, berserkers, sirens, spirits, ghouls, witches, and this, this is what destroys them.

Cancer's a monster they can't beat.

x

The funeral is on Hale property. No preacher. Stiles is buried by the stones that have the names of the Hales lost. He's by Laura, and Derek sees all he's lost in one place.

He tries to speak, after the Sheriff.

"My husband," he starts. And he breaks down. Seeing their Alpha in such a state is terrible for the betas; the absolute devastation they feel through their bond is awful. Scott and Boyd try to help him back to his seat, but he pushes them away gently. "I loved him," he says. And then he goes.

Everyone speaks. Some wet laughter is shared amongst them. Lots of tears fall on the ground.

The sunny day feels like it's mocking them.

Afterwards, they go inside, drink wolfsbane alcohol. The pack stays together in the living room, linked by touch. Mrs. McCall and the Sheriff head home.

Stiles' death has left a gaping hole in everyone's chest, has broken them down. Nobody knows how to act. Something is just wrong in the air.

The past year of chemo, radiation, treatments that never worked for long enough, it's going to haunt them forever. Derek prays, for the first time in years. _Please don't take anyone else. Please let me keep them._

There's no answer.

**Author's Note:**

> pretty sure i didn't actually mention the cancer, it's leukemia. i didn't experience leukemia, but my grandfather had liver and lung cancer, so the feelings are real in this.  
> if you want to yell at me or cry together about everything, i'm wannabeyourcinnamonroll on tumblr!


End file.
